4 DSP
TS-590S CONTENTS 21
As for ADCs and DACs, the best combination of models are selected to suit the type of signal
processed, especially for the IF input section, high-performance ADCs designed for high-end audio
with dynamic range of 114 dB are used.
Both the ADCs and DACs have two analog input/output channels per device and the DSP has four
input channels and six output channels of signals.
As indicated above, the DSP processes many signals concurrently. This delivers a wide variety of
benefits including the capability to independently set volume levels of speakers, signal levels from
external terminals and USB audio, and to trigger the VOX circuit through the microphone and the
external terminal at the same time.
However, handling so many signals simultaneously puts a heavy load on the 32-bit floating point DSP,
though it operates at the clock frequency of 221 MHz. The DSP needs to be able to handle many
different signals, while performing not only basic functions including IF-AGC, digital IF filtering, and
demodulation, but also more advanced functions such as noise reduction and manual notch filtering.
To achieve this goal, we have introduced a real-time OS to the DSP of the TS-590S and also paid
careful attention to the software configuration to help deliver utmost performance from the OS.
The DSP of TS-590S realizes a variety of functions with its signal processing software that is
optimized to fully bring out the performance of the high-performance hardware of the transceiver.
In the following sections, we will explain the functions made possible with the innovative DSP signal
processing technologies.
After TS-2000S, Kenwood has not launched an HF amateur transceiver incorporating “IF-DSP” that
processes digital signals from the IF stage. Still, over the years, we continued to study signal
processing technology using DSP. From the inception, we reviewed our design approach. Now, in
the new TS-590S, we have introduced the latest DSP technology that we developed from scratch.
TS-590S has adopted a unique frequency configuration where down conversion and up conversion
are switched over each other depending on the conditions and this was never used in previous
models. In either case, the pass bandwidth of the earlier stage (analog stage) can be wider than the
final pass bandwidth of the DSP. Even under such conditions, the target signal is not affected by an
interfering signal thanks to the sophisticated digital AGC control.
Also, we have further perfected the “high quality audio” that users rely on Kenwood to deliver and has
attracted so many users to previous product generations.
To produce audio signals that a user never gets tired of hearing during the long periods of operation,
we have developed a new attack control process of the IF-AGC. The attack control of the IF-AGC in
the DSP is tuned to produce a very rapid change in gain and to minimize the distortion during the
attack period, and the waveform of the audio output is expected to be shaped into a form of
overshoot during the period from the moment of the attack to the moment when the gain stabilizes.
In practice, little distortion is audible in the voice output, but in CW mode, depending on how the
waveform is shaped by the attack operation, the CW receive note may crackle somewhat. And that
tires the operator over a long operating period.
TS-590S incorporates newly developed functions such as the mentioned IF-AGC and other
improvements of conventional features. During the development, a signal process simulator was
employed to ensure performance enhancement.
When prototyping the TS-590S, we created and implemented two types of IF-AGCs experimentally and
conducted testing. As a result of this experimental process, we discussed the influence of distortion on
the audio quality, to finally decide to adopt the IF-AGC configuration described in Figure 4-3.